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THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT. ~ 159 vessels and steamboats. A town named Frankfort has been com- menced at this place, and with its natural advantages, and the enter- prise of parties who now contemplate making further improve- ments, it will soon become a very desirable and convenient point for the accommodation of navigators. The islands, comprising the Beavers, the Manitous, and Fox Isles, should here be noticed. The Beavers lie a little south of west from the entrance to the Strait of Mackinac, the Manitous a little south of these, and the Foxes still further down the lake. These are all valuable for fishing purposes, and for wood and lumber. Lying in the route of all the steamboat lines from Chicago to Buffalo and the Upper Lakes, the harbors on these islands are stop- ping points for the boats, and a profitable trade is conducted in furnishing the necessary supplies of wood, ete. We next arrive at Manistex, a small but important settlement at the mouth of the Manistee River. 'The harbor is a natural one, but requires some improvement. A large trade is carried on with Chicago in lumber. ; The next point of importance is the mouth of the Pere Mar- quette River. Here is the terminus of the proposed railroad from Flint, in Genesee county, connecting with Detroit by the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway, a distance of about 180 miles. The harbor is very superior, and the country in the vicinity is well adapted for settlement. About 16 miles in the interior is situ- ated one of the most compact and extensive tracts of pine timber on the western coast. | About forty miles south of this, in the county of Oceana, a small village is located at the mouth of White River. The harbor here is also a natural one, and the region is settled to considerable extent by farmers. Lumber is, however, the principal commodity, and the trade is principally with the Chicago market, _ The next point, Musxzcon, at the mouth of the Muskegon River, is supported principally by the large lumber region of the interior, Numerous steam saw mills are now in active operation -- here, giving the place an air of life and activity. The harbor is one of the best on the lake, and is at present accessible for all the vessels trading between Muskegon and Chicago.